Pickle separating machine



Sept 8, 1942'- I 'H. H. ZENGE EI'AL 2,295,190

- PICKLE SEPARATING MACHINE Filed July 11, 1940 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 a ecease ATTORNEYS.

sept- 1942- H. H.-Z ENGE ETAL 2,295,190

PICKLE SEPPTRATING MACHINE I Filed July 11, 1940 V 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 12717267230, Wzleiz ge, eese-seed,

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Sept. ,8, 1942 H. H. ZENGE EI'AL PICKLE SEPARATING MACHINE Filed July 11, 1940 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 zzjzzerge,

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' aieceeaeaz Patented Sept. 8, 1942 UNITED STATE PICKLE SEPARATING MACHINE I Harry H. Zenge, Canton,.Mo., and William J.- C.

Zenge, deceased, late of Canton, Mo., by W. E. Zenge, administrator, Canton, Mo., assignors to said Harry B. Zenge and F. W. Goetz, both of Canton, Mo.

Application July 11, 1940, Serial No. 344,998

(01. 209-49) The device forming the subject matter of this I 1 Claim.

application is a pickle grading machine of the kind shown in our former Patent No. 1,190,067, granted onJuly 4, 1916.

Among the improvements contemplated are a novel driving mechanism, a'novel hopper, for receiving the pickles initially, and a 'novel means for mounting the driving shaft for the lateral conveyer in such a way that the lateral conveyer may have no joints or adjustable features in them. Other novel points will be made manifest as the description proceeds. A novel construction whereby the frame may be shortened, is contemplated.

It is within the province of the disclosure to improve generally and to enhance the utility of devices of that type to which the present invention appertains.

With the above and other objects in view, which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed, may be made within the scope of what is claimed, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings:

,Fig. 1 shows in top plan, a pickle grading machine constructed in accordance with the invention; 3

Fig. 2 is a side elevation;

Fig. 3 is an end elevation;

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section;

.Fig. 5 is a cross section on the line 55 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 is an elevation showing a means for adjusting one of the shafts;

Fig. '7 is a top plan of the structure shown in Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is an elevation showing the means for mounting one of the shafts.

Since the machine forming the subject matter of this application resembles in many particulars, the machine shown in the patent hereinbefore'referred'to, the description may be shortened accordingly, emphasis being laid on the dehangers 66.

r The device includes a support S, on the forward end of which is mounted a hopper IT, in which pickles are received initially. The pickles pass from the hopper I'i upon a reciprocating screen, which is suspended from the support S, for longitudinal oscillating movement, by means of The screen comprises longitudinal grate bars 23, decreased in diameter bysuccessive steps from the forward end of the machine toward the rear end thereof. The construction is such that the smaller pickles drop first through the screen, between the grate bars 23, the larger pickles subsequently dropping between the grate bars in graded sizes.

As the pickles are advanced, they are separated by a mechanism shown at 48 in Fig. 5, and

are cleaned by a mechanism shown at 41, both 61 is mounted on the pulleys 60 and 54. The belt 6| carries the pickles laterally out of the machine. The belt 5| may be referred to as a secondary conveyer.- Y

A means is provided for moving the pickles lengthwise of the grate bars 23 of the screen. That means includes a primary conveyer 45, supported in any desired'way on-t-he framework F. The primary conveyer'45 has rake teeth 44 which move between the grate'bars 23 of the screen. The upper run of the primary conveyer 45 is held horizontal, because it traverses tracks II on the support S. The primary conveyer 45 derives motion from a transverse shaft 38 rotatably mounted on the support S.

The shaft 53 derives rotation from the transverse shaft 38 by way of a beveled pinion 55 on tails which characterize the present application. I

the shaft 38, meshing with-a beveled pinion 55a on the shaft 53 (see Fig. 3).

Such, grossly considered, is the structure common to both the machine shown in aforesaid Patent 1,190,067, and the-machine forming the subject matter of this application.

One of the improvements contemplated in the present application relate to the hopper I'I. As

shown in Figs. 1 and 4, the bottom of the hopper is made upof rearwardly presented fingers I0, aligned with the bars 23 of the reciprocating screen. The fingers 10 are separated by spaces H, which are narrower than the spaces between the adjacent end portions of the grate bars 23. The construction is such that dirt and trash can fall free from pickles, through the spaces 'll, before the pickles pass upon the grate bars 23 of the screen; but, since the spaces II are narrower than the spaces between the adjacent end portions of the grate bars 23, there will be no downward discharge, through the spaces 1 I, of pickles which should pass upon the reciprocating screen. The downward and rearward slant of the fingers 10, shown in Fig. 4, facilitates the discharge of pickles upon the screen.

.Passing to another specific improvement, it has been found that the belt conveyer 5! of Fig. 5, if made endless and brine-proof has to be tightened, and a means to that end is provided.

To the outer surface of each side wall of each chute 55 (Figs. 6 and '7) is secured a guide frame 12, comprising an inner wedge-shaped abutment block 13 and an outer vertical spacer 14, con nected by straps I5, and by forcing a feeder wedge 18 downwardly, the shaft 53 will be advanced outwardly, and the belt 5t will be tightened. I

Referring to Figs. 2 and 8, a bracket 19 is secured to the support S, and in the bracket a slide bearing 80 is mounted for in and out reciprocation,- the slide bearing being held in or out by any suitable means, suchas a screw 8| threaded into the end of the bracket and engaging the bearing.

Referring to Fig. 8, the beveled pinion 55 is held on the transverse shaft 38, for adjustment longitudinally of that shaft, by a set screw 82, and consequently, the beveled pinion 55 can be .held in mesh with its fellow pinion 55a.

In the machine shown in Patent No. 1,190,067, the frame has been found to be too long, and to comprise too many parts. Another object of the invention is to provide a novel construction whereby the frame may be shortened, and still be strong enough and rigid enough to be supported on four legs, marked by the reference character 2, those legs serving to carry the working parts without resorting to a complicated framework, including additional legs, braces and the like.

For the purpose of imparting reciprocation to the screen, including the bars 23, and for the purpose of operating the primary conveyer 45 and the secondary or lateral conveyers 5|, there is provided an electrical motor 83, carried by a bracket 84 on the support S. The motor 83 is connected by a chain and sprocket drive 85 with a transverse shaft 85, carrying a flywheel 81. The shaft 86 is joumaled for rotation in bearings 88, carried by a substantial cross piece 89, secured to pillow blocks 90 on the upper horizontal beams 8 of the support S. The cross piece 89 constitutes an important strengthening tie, joining together the upper beams 8. The shaft is supplied intermediate its ends with a crank 9|, whereunto is pivoted a pitman 92, the pitman being pivoted at 93 to the rear end of the screen, which includes the bars 23.

It may be noted at this point that in Patent 1,190,067, the part corresponding to the shaft 85 is at the extreme rear end of the supporting frame, the pitman, corresponding to the pitman 92 being extended forwardly: whereas, in' the machine herewith presented, the shaft 85 is spaced forwardly from the rear end of the machine, the pitman 92 being extended backwardly from the crank 9| on the shaft 85. The result is that the framework of the machine may be shortened markedly, as a comparison between Fig. 2 of the case at bar and Fig. 2 of Patent 1,190,067 will show.

The shaft 86 is operatively connected with the shaft 38 (Fig. 4) by a chain and sprocket drive 94.

Since the general method of operation has been explained in the opening portion of this specification, and since the structure has been traced out hereinbefore, the specification may be concluded at this point, without further remarks.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

A pickle grading machine comprising a support, a transverse chute on the support, means on the support for grading pickles and depositing them in the chute, a pickle-receiving belt conveyer in the chute, means for supporting and operating the conveyer, including a longitudinal shaft mounted in the chute for adjustment longitudinally of the chute, means carried by the chute for moving the shaft outwardly, said means comprising a frame carried by the chute and ineluding an abutment, a bearing slidable in the for securing one pinion to the transverse shaft,

for adjustment longitudinally of that shaft, to maintain the pinions in mesh.

HARRY.H. ZENGE, W. E. ZENGE, Administrator of the Estate of William J. C.

Zenge, Deceased. 

